


Riptide

by Pepperweb



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Auguste and Laurent play board games, Auguste is alive, Blow Jobs, First Time, Fluff, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mentions of near drowning, Near Death Experiences, Sex, Smut, lifeguard AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 20:15:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11836224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pepperweb/pseuds/Pepperweb
Summary: After nearly drowning Laurent is rescued by a handsome lifeguard. A handsome lifeguard who might or might not be flirting with him. Laurent can't tell; he's having trouble breathing.It's Summer, have an obligatory Lifeguard Au.





	Riptide

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> It's Summer so I thought I'd write a lifeguard au. And this is for Lisa because I bugged her nearly everyday about this.
> 
> But Hazel, aren't you currently writing another fic that's like a gazillion chapters long?  
> And Hazel, aren't you on holiday and supposed to be enjoying the sun?
> 
> Why yes, dear reader, I am on holiday and I've spent far too long ogling the lifeguards on the beach and several days were spent in the tent due to wild weather conditions. So voila! This was written. 
> 
> And if this uploads on the campsite Wi-Fi it will be a miracle.

‘Laurent! Laurent!’

Someone was calling his name.  
_Oh God, everything hurt_. His chest was so tight.

‘Laurent? Can you hear me?’

He turned over and puked seawater everywhere. The salt water burning his throat as it came up wave after wave. He lay there panting hard, convinced there wasn’t any more to come up but then his stomach was churning again and he was spewing seawater once more.

He tried to open his eyes but everything was too bright. He stayed there on his side until only a dribble of water came out of his mouth. His breathing was heavy and laboured and raw, his lungs burning with oxygen.

Awareness came back to him in stages. He could feel something firm beneath him; sand, wet sand. The crashing of waves on the shore. There was a hand on his shoulder steadying him, it rubbed up and down his arm in a calming gesture.

He could hear voices.

‘Is he going to be okay? Have you called an ambulance?’ that was Auguste, he sounded worried.

‘He’ll be okay, once he’s finished puking we’ll take him back up the cliffs and meet the ambulance, I think Nik’s called one.’ Laurent didn’t know that voice, it was unfamiliar.

‘Jesus fucking Christ, he nearly died,’ that was Jord.

_What were they all talking about?_

Wait.

_Were they talking about him?_

Laurent groaned and the voices stopped. He tried to open his eyes but they stung a little and it was so bright.

‘Oh God Laurent, are you okay?’ And there was Auguste, on his knees in the wet sand, hands clutching at him.

Laurent tried to speak, tried to tell him he was fine but all that happened was he belched more seawater up. He grimaced at the awful taste.

‘Okay there dude, just stay on your side for me that’s it,’ came the unknown voice from before. ‘Gotta get all that water out. Thought you’d try and drink the whole ocean did you?’

_Of course I didn’t- you can’t think I did this on purpose- you think I’d do this for fun? Fuck you._

Laurent tried to say all of that but all that came out was a raspy sort of noise. He squinted, annoyed. Auguste’s hands were now grasping his tightly.

‘Oh God, Laurent, you had me so worried,’ he said.

Laurent tried to say ‘why?’ but was as yet still unsuccessful at forming the sounds needed for intelligent speech.

‘Alright then Laurent,’ came the voice of the person who, Laurent realised was still grasping his shoulder, ‘If you’re done spewing your guts let’s get you rolled onto this stretcher then.’

Stretcher?

‘I don’t need-‘ his voice came out hoarse, like he’d screamed himself out.

Auguste stopped him with a look.

‘Get on the stretcher,’ he said.

Reluctantly, Laurent let himself be rolled backwards onto the stretcher and found himself looking up into a dark face with a mop of wet curls on the top.

‘Hey there sunshine,’ the guy grinned and the owner of the unknown voice revealed.

Laurent could make out the red top the guy was wearing, he was a lifeguard?

Laurent scowled. But the expression was ruined by Laurent experiencing a sudden bout of shivering, despite the hot sun overhead. Goosebumps covered his arms and legs.

But then he was being covered in a red and white jacket, draped carefully over his torso. Laurent was grateful and his hands picked at the ends of the sleeves.

‘I need you to keep your head still for me,’ said the lifeguard holding up two pieces of what looked like foam clad in waterproof material.

‘No, dont-‘ but before Laurent could finish rasping his protest he was interrupted by the attachment of the brace around his head and neck.

‘Looking great,’ said the lifeguard with a grin.

‘Listen you imbecile-‘

‘Laurent shut up,’ said Auguste, cutting Laurent off from speaking again.

Laurent tried to look at Auguste but he couldn’t move his head to see him. He let out a little whine and stretched out a hand from under the jacket in mild panic. Auguste grabbed his hand and moved closer.

‘I’m here, I’m here,’ he said reassuringly and his face leaned over Laurent’s. ‘Look, Laurent it’s really important you let the lifeguards do their job okay? You’ve had an accident and it was really scary but you’re gonna be fine okay? We’re gonna get you to the hospital and get checked out.’

Laurent tried to process the words.

Accident?

‘What, what happened?’ he asked, his voice raw. In the background he could hear people talking, he could hear Jord, he could hear the lifeguards discussing who was going to carry the stretcher. Apparently the ambulance was on its way.

‘You were swimming,’ explained Auguste, ‘and you hit your head, you were knocked out and then you went under, and-‘ and then his voice shook and he bowed his head ‘You....you didn’t come up...’

‘Auguste,’ the word came out pained, ‘Auguste I’m okay,’

‘Laurent you weren’t breathing!’ cried Auguste and there were tears in his eyes now and he pressed his head down onto Laurent’s tender stomach. His fingers laced with Laurent’s own and squeezed hard.

Laurent felt his breath catch in his lungs.

‘I- I...’

‘Okay guys let’s get going’ came the voice of the lifeguard from before. And Auguste scrambled back as Laurent’s stretcher was lifted from the top and tail by two of the lifeguards.

The one who had called Laurent sunshine was at Laurent’s feet and he grinned at him.

‘It’s a good look,’ he said, meaning the neckbrace, or possibly the lifeguard jacket, Laurent wasn’t sure.

‘Damen stop flirting and carry your end of the stretcher’ came a voice at Laurent’s head. It was the other lifeguard.

The lifeguard Damen didn’t look at all deterred and instead _winked_ at Laurent.

It was a shame looks couldn’t kill because if they could lifeguard Damen would be a smoking pile of ashes right now from the glare Laurent levelled at him.

Between them the two lifeguards set a steady pace carrying Laurent up the beach and towards the path that came down from the cliffs.

‘You’re going to carry him all the way up there?’ asked Auguste incredulously, keeping up at Laurent’s side still holding his hand.

‘Yup’ came the response from the lead lifeguard.

Laurent didn’t miss the apprehensive look on Auguste’s face.

‘I’m sure I could just walk,’ he muttered.

‘Not with a suspected concussion you couldn’t,’ snapped Auguste. Laurent opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it.

Auguste had step back then as the path narrowed and he didn’t want to be in the way.

He gave Laurent’s hand a last squeeze and fell back behind lifeguard Damen. Jord didn’t seem to be coming, Laurent wondered where he was.

‘Just let us do all the heavy lifting,’ said Damen.

‘I’m not that heavy,’ Laurent turned his waspish reply on the lifeguard instead,

‘Really, I don’t see why the fuss is about. I feel fine.’

‘Of course you do,’ said Damen cheerfully as he navigated the first set of steps which began to wind their way up the cliff. The lifeguard who was in front slowed a little and they adjusted the stretcher so Laurent remained level as they ascended the path. ‘I saved your life that’s why.’

‘Damen,’ huffed the other lifeguard, ‘if you’re going to start on about the wondrous powers of your kiss of life then I swear to God I will let you carry this stretcher all by yourself.’

‘Aww come on Nik,’ whined Damen, ‘You know I’m only telling the truth-‘

‘Damen,’ warned the lifeguard Nik.

‘Fine, fine, I’ll be quiet but I’m sure Laurent here can back me up.’

Laurent meanwhile was staring at Damen in absolute horror.

No.

No fucking way.

‘No fucking way,’ he said out loud.

‘Knew it,’ said Nik, ‘I call bullshit Damen,’

‘You did not fucking kiss me,’ said Laurent.

‘Mouth on mouth resuscitation my friend,’ said Damen happily, ‘and it worked a treat.’

‘Put me down,’ demanded Laurent suddenly, ‘Auguste! Auguste! Where’s my brother?’ he called out. It was lucky August wasn’t too far behind because Laurent’s feeble voice didn’t carry very far. He hurried up the steps and past Damen to catch up to Laurent.

‘What? What is it?!’ he cried panicked.

‘Auguste get me off this stretcher, this giant animal sexually harassed me,’ Laurent pointed at the lifeguard Damen.

‘He did WHAT?!’ Auguste whirled around about to fly at Damen.

‘Jesus, I was only telling him I gave him mouth to mouth, God, dude I didn’t do anything else I swear!’ said Damen, eyes wide as Auguste advanced threateningly. ‘I would never, I swear, I was saving his life!’

‘Why the fuck would you make a claim like that?’ came the aggressive tone of Nik the other lifeguard.

‘He touched me without my permission!’ protested Laurent.

‘Laurent you weren’t fucking breathing!’ yelled Auguste, turning back around to Laurent now. And Laurent could tell Auguste was at the end of his tether. ‘Damen here hauled you out of the water after you had been under for minutes and he dragged you up the beach and what part of you weren’t breathing and you nearly died do you not understand?’

‘I-‘

‘No. I don’t want to hear it’, said Auguste angrily, ‘I don’t want to hear another word from you until we reach the hospital, except in case of a real emergency, understand?’  
Laurent, shocked into silence, tried to nod but couldn’t; the head restraint prevented him from doing so. Instead he let out a meek little ‘yes’ which seemed to satisfy his brother. Auguste then fell back and allowed the lifeguards to continue their arduous journey up the steep path to the cliff top.

Laurent stayed silent all the way up the path. But just because his mouth wasn’t working didn’t mean his brain wasn’t.

Okay, so he’d nearly died. That explained why Auguste was being so snappy and unreasonable; he was worried, he’d been scared. And he hadn’t been able to protect Laurent.

But protect him from what?

Laurent craned his neck to see where Auguste was on the path but he couldn’t see him due to the severely limited movement of his head because of that damned headbrace.

He looked across at Damen who was distracted by making sure his footing was good on the path and Laurent’s eyes did not linger on the way the rash vest clung to his very muscled torso. Absolutely they did not.

‘Excuse me?’ Laurent said quietly, trying Not to incur the wrath of his brother. But apparently it was too quiet as Damen did not hear him. He tried again.

‘Hey!’ his raspy voice came out sounding more aggressive than he’d intended.

Damen’s head jerked up, ‘What?’ he asked quickly, concern on his face. ‘Are you okay? Is anything wrong?’

‘I’m fine ’ said Laurent rolling his eyes, ‘but I just...I wanted to ask...how did I get knocked out?’

Damen looked a little hesitant.

‘What.’

‘Well it’s kind of funny, but not really funny,’ he said.

‘Go on,’ said Laurent in a dangerous tone, although he kept it low so August wouldn’t overhear.

‘Well you got taken out by a rogue surfboard,’ Damen confessed, and Laurent could tell he was working hard to keep the grin off his face.

‘A rogue surfboard.’ He repeated.

‘Err yeah?’

‘I see,’ said Laurent icily, and Damen could probably tell he was on thin ground here. ‘And why was there a rogue surfboard going AWOL in the ‘safe swim’ section of the beach you are responsible for?’

‘Ummm,’

‘Aren’t you supposed to drive the surfers out of the ‘safe swim’ zone?,’

‘Well yeah but it’s hardly our fault this one dude didn’t listen and then wiped out and lost his surfboard,’ pointed out Damen defensively.

‘I think it’s exactly your fault,’ said Laurent,

‘You didn’t do your job and now I’ve paid the price. You had to save me to mop up your mistakes,’

‘Look it’s not like that,’ said Damen, ‘I did do my job. I rescued you and resuscitated you because that’s my job and you were in trouble. The cause was an accident,’

‘It was a preventable accident,’ retorted Laurent. ‘What if I had been a child? Or someone who couldn’t swim?’

‘Being able to swim doesn’t help you when you’re unconscious. And you’re very clearly not a child,’ said Damen.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ asked Laurent argumentatively and unfortunately for him that was the exact moment they reached the top of the path and Auguste came alongside him once more.

‘Did I catch you talking?’ he hissed.

Laurent clamped his mouth shut but glared at Damen, not relenting until between the lifeguards and the ambulance paramedics they’d bundled Laurent into the ambulance and shut the doors.

Laurent huffed.

He could hear his brother talking to Nik and Damen, a few short sentences and then he was climbing in the back of the ambulance and sitting next to Laurent as they set off for the hospital.

Three hours later Laurent was discharged from hospital with mild concussion. Auguste was fussing over him still as they went outside and found Jord waiting for them in the car.

‘You okay?’ he asked opening the door for Laurent.

‘I’m fine,’ he said icily, ‘If Auguste would stop mothering me I’d be a hell of a lot better.’

‘Don’t bother trying to have a sane conversation with him Jord,’ said Auguste, ‘he’s in an impossible mood.’

Jord hesitated, not sure which brother he should listen to.

‘Err I brought your clothes Laurent,’ he said handing Laurent a shirt, a pair of jeans and some underwear. ‘I thought you might be cold.’

Laurent _was_ cold. He only had his swim shorts on, and the jacket from the lifeguard which was much too big for him.

He took the clothes gratefully from Jord and hastily got changed in the backseat of the car, ignoring Auguste’s protests to be careful with his head. Once he’d put the shirt on and buttoned up the front he went to bundle up the red and white jacket but paused.

Refusing to think about what it might mean he put the jacket back on and sat on the backseat and did his seat belt.

Auguste and Jord got into the car and they set off back to their holiday cottage on the south coast.

For most of the journey Laurent ignored Auguste who was reading out loud an information pamphlet he’d been given at the hospital on how to look after someone with concussion.

He leaned his head against the window and watched the fields stream past the window. In doing so he caught a whiff of a nice smell from the jacket. It was unmistakeably male, it had that musky, earthy tone to it. Laurent closed his eyes and inhaled.  
He stayed like that for a little while, breathing deeply and about to drift off into a snooze when all too soon the car stopped and he heard car doors slam as his brother and best friend got out of the car.

Auguste opened his door and Laurent stepped out.

‘How are you doing?’ he asked sincerely, ‘do you feel car sick?’

Laurent shook his head and then regretted it. It was starting to hurt more and more he realised. Perhaps he did have concussion after all.

‘I need some paracetamol,’ he said quietly.

‘Of course,’ Auguste put an arm around Laurent’s shoulder and walked with him into the holiday cottage. He supervised Laurent taking two paracetamol tablets and then helped him to bed.

He peeled the jacket from around Laurent’s shoulders, but Laurent clung to the material of one of the sleeves, not caring if it was babyish. Auguste huffed but allowed him this and once he’d tucked Laurent under the covers with promises to wake him up every hour just to be safe he lay the jacket over Laurent and left the room.

Part of Laurent’s mind knew he was being obvious and an idiot. But at the moment he really couldn’t find it in him to care. He felt so tired and the bed was so warm and the painkillers were kicking in so he drifted off to sleep.

Waking in the morning Laurent rolled over at stretched. Despite Auguste checking in on him every hour to make sure he was okay, he’d slept well. He stretched out an arm and stopped dead. His hand had brushed against the lifeguard’s jacket.

That stupid jacket which he should have screwed up and shoved it somewhere no one could find.

Horror sank into him as he remembered the evening before where he’d clung to the jacket like a baby with a blanket, he’d insisted on wearing it long past the need to maintain decency or heat. Dear Lord he’d sniffed it!

Laurent groaned and put a hand over his face.

Christ this was embarrassing.

He paused. There was no one around. Surreptitiously he brought the jacket to his nose. Fuck it did smell good. Musky and male and good.

Laurent’s mind jumped back to the events of yesterday afternoon. And lingered on the details he’d been too angry to notice at the time.

Damen.

The salt curls of his hair. The brush of stubble on his chin. The big, wide, brown eyes. The muscles in his arms bunching and flexing as he carried Laurent’s stretcher with ease. That torso, unfortunately hidden under the rash vest.

That wink.

Was he-? Had he been flirting with him?

No. He probably did that with everyone. He probably had everyone on the beach swooning over him with those arm muscles. That tanned skin...that dimpled smile.

Fuck. Laurent needed to stop thinking about him. Needed to stop sniffing his bloody jacket too. That was weird. Even if the guy did smell good. It was still weird.

The guy probably didn’t even like him anyway. His face? Sure; everyone liked Laurent’s face. But his personality? Rude was probably the most polite of descriptions.

And Laurent had been particularly rude yesterday. Even he could admit he’d been in a foul mood... He winced; Auguste hadn’t deserved to be on the end of all that. He should probably apologise to him.

Laurent lay there for a few more long minutes before getting up, washed and dressed and making his way into the open plan kitchen of the holiday cottage.

‘Morning’ said Auguste. His brother was sat at the table with a mug of tea in his hands.

‘Kettle’s just boiled for you,’

‘Thanks’.

Laurent made himself a cup of tea and came to sit next to Auguste and looked out of the window. It wasn’t such a nice day today, grey clouds hung overhead, threatening rain.

‘How are you feeling this morning?’ Auguste asked after while.

‘Better,’ replied Laurent, ‘Sorry I was so awful to you yesterday.’

‘It’s alright,’ said Auguste cheerfully, ‘I’m about the only person you can be that horrible to and who would still love you.’ He paused, ‘that poor lifeguard didn’t deserve it though.’

‘No’ said Laurent after a moment, ‘I suppose not.’

‘I think you owe him an apology’ said Auguste, and then when Laurent made to interrupt he carried on speaking, ‘yes, and some thanks too. He did save your life.’

Laurent grumbled under his breath about rogue surfboards and whose fault was that really. Auguste ignored him.

His brother was probably right...as usual.  
Laurent sipped his tea.

They sat in companionable silence for some time, watching the clouds skittering overhead with fast winds.

‘What’s the plan for today?’ Laurent asked.

‘Today is an indoor day I think,’ said Auguste.

‘Rain is forecast and I want to keep an eye on you. How does board games sound?’

‘I hardly think that’s fair on Jord,’

‘I heard that,’ said Jord, come shuffling into the kitchen. He turned the kettle on and set about making a cup of tea for himself. ‘I thought I’d take the car for a drive today.’  
Auguste turned, mock outrage on his face,

‘And miss out on board games with us?’

‘Neither of you play fair and I’m always in the middle,’ Jord said, his back to them as he opened cupboards. ‘I’d rather not be around when Laurent flips the board.’

Laurent scowled but Auguste just laughed.

The day was spent inside. Rain hammering against the windows. Laurent won at chess but Auguste had a canny knack at snakes and ladders and just as Jord was coming back through the door Laurent upended the board.

‘I make that three times in a row brother,’ said Auguste sweetly. He ignored Laurent’s cursing and called out a greeting to Jord.  
Laurent, not in the mood for pleasantries stalked off to his room.

As soon as he’d shut the door behind him he spotted the jacket, still strewn on the bed covers where he’d left it that morning.

Laurent went over and picked it up.

He told himself he was going to resist. He said it in his head over and over. But still he found his arms lifting it up and bringing it to his face. That smell again. So good.

So weird.

What was wrong with him?

Laurent decided he needed a distraction. He went and picked up a book, settling on his bed to read.

Auguste found him like that a few hours later.

He knocked on the door before entering, as opposed to just barging in. Laurent had always appreciated the fact that his brother respected his privacy.

‘Hello,’

‘Brother’ said Laurent, not looking up from his book.

‘I’m cooking tea would you like some?’

‘Yes,’

‘If you’re feeling up to it we could go for a walk this evening? The weather’s cleared up, might be nice on the cliff tops.’

Laurent shrugged.

‘And tomorrow we can go to the beach again.’

At that, Laurent looked up. ‘You’d let me go back in the water?’

Auguste gave him a flat look, ‘No. But it would give you a chance to give that jacket back,’ he smirked then.

Laurent stared, then realised what his brother was looking at. He was wearing the jacket.

He didn’t even remember putting it on.

Well shit.

He’d probably been surreptitiously sniffing it all afternoon as well. Auguste was looking at him like he knew exactly what Laurent had been doing with the jacket.

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ he snapped.

‘Like what brother?’ said Auguste as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

‘Like you’ve caught me in some illicit act. So I was cold, I put on a jacket, so what?’

‘And it just happened to be the jacket belonging to a very fit lifeguard who incidently happened to save your life yesterday and to whom you were more than a little rude to?’

‘I’m rude to everyone,’ sniffed Laurent, ‘I don’t discriminate.’

‘I think the lady doth protest too much,’ crowed Auguste. ‘He asked after you you know, once you were in the ambulance.

Would you like to know what he said?’

‘I think you’re going to tell me anyway,’ said Laurent, ‘You can’t keep a secret to save your life.’

Auguste walked over to the end of Laurent’s bed and flopped down on it. He lay on his back and looked up at Laurent.

‘I reckon he likes you, I reckon you like him.’

Laurent forced himself to not betray any emotion. ‘What gave you that impression?’

Auguste’s eyes lit up. ‘You forget I can read you like a book,’ he said, ‘you’re interested, I can tell!’

Laurent rolled his eyes.

Auguste laughed and the sound gave such warmth to Laurent he found it very hard to stay annoyed at him.

‘Well anyway, Damen, that’s his name, the lifeguard who saved you-‘

‘I know his name Auguste-,’

‘Good cos I wouldn’t want you to have sex with someone whose name you didn’t know-‘

Laurent shot daggers at Auguste and lifted his book over his head as if to bring the whole 700 page hardback tome down on his beloved but infuriating brother’s face.

‘Hey! Don’t you even dare! Anyway Damen said that when you were feeling better you should come back to the beach, he said his next shift is Thursday, tomorrow now, and that he’d like to see you again.’

Laurent faltered in his attempt to cave his own brother’s stupid-perfect face in and- ‘He really said that?

Auguste grinned, ‘Yeah, why, you interested?’  
Laurent scowled.

‘Fine stay in denial, but think about this...how much better he’ll smell in real life.’

And now Laurent really was going to kill him. He sprang up from the bed and chased Auguste out of his room, down the hallway and into the garden. Auguste was fast but Laurent was faster and he tackled Auguste to the lawn, wrestling in the wet grass with him until they were both soaked.

‘Come inside before you chill and die of pneumonia or something,’ yelled Jord. ‘Or not, Auguste I’m claiming your chocolate biscuits as you won’t need them when you’re dead.’

‘Awww fuck, not the chocolate digestives,’ cursed Auguste and he wriggled out from under Laurent and sprinted into the cottage.

Laurent followed laughing as now Auguste was trying to steal back his hobnobs from Jord who was a good few inches taller than him and held them above Auguste’s head out of reach.

Nothing more was said that evening about the jacket or its owner, despite Jord giving him A Look. And Laurent went to bed with it draped over the chair in his room. Out of the way of temptation but in his line of sight so he could imagine it stretched over broad shoulders and hugging a trim waist.

The next day dawned bright and sunny, all the clouds of the day before gone from sight. Laurent was up before any of them, and Auguste came into the kitchen to find him pulling the laundry from the dryer.

‘You didn’t have to- Oh I see,’ said Auguste, in a smirk-laden tone.

‘Shut up.’

‘I won’t say another word.’

‘That’s a lie, you’ll be harassing me all morning now.’

‘Just doing my brotherly duties,’ said Auguste sweetly.

‘Well be brotherly and fold your underwear for me,’ said Laurent thrusting a bundle of fresh laundry at Auguste.

Auguste laughed but did as he was told. Perhaps sensing how on edge Laurent was this morning.

Because Laurent wasn’t exactly _nervous_ but he was apprehensive. They were going to go back to the beach today and he was going to see Damen again. Damen who had saved his life. Damen who had flirted and winked at him and who had told Auguste he wanted to see Laurent again. Damen, who wasn’t deterred by Laurent’s somewhat caustic nature. Damen who smelt really, really good.

Soon, once the three of them had had breakfast and cups of tea, they bundled into the car again and headed down to the beach.

Once parked, Laurent grabbed his bag from the car and went to look down at the beach from the cliff top. There was a sprinkling of people on the sand already, some families in the shallows, some surfers further out. And there, in the middle of the beach was the lifeguard tower. A few red specks visible from up here on the cliff.

‘You know, I’m still so impressed they carried you all the way up here,’ remarked Jord, coming alongside Laurent now. ‘It’s not exactly a stroll is it?’

And it wasn’t, even going down the steps to the beach was arduous, never mind coming all the way up carrying a stretcher.

They reached the sand soon enough and Auguste led the way to a nice spot, far enough from the waters edge that the tide wouldn’t get them, but near enough so they wouldn’t have to run on hot sand to get there.

Laurent pointedly did not look at the lifeguard platform.

Jord set up the parasol and Laurent ducked under it gratefully. His fair skin was not best friends with the sun.

‘Right I’m going in the sea,’ declared Auguste and he took off, Jord hard on his heels after shedding his t-shirt.

Laurent sighed. Auguste had expressly forbidden him from going more than ankle deep in the water, and as much as it rankled him about being told what he could and couldn’t do, now he was here, Laurent found himself agreeing. He watched the water warily, it seemed a bit scary now, hostile, and whilst he couldn’t remember getting hit on the head, he did remember throwing up all the seawater and struggling to get his breath back on the wet sand of the shoreline.

Lost in thought Laurent didn’t notice someone approach until, ‘Err hi?’

Startled, Laurent looked up and there was Damen.

There he was in all his tanned, muscled, glory. He looked like he’d just got out of the water, there were rivulets of water running down his chest....

And Laurent should stop staring. He made himself look at the sea instead. ‘Hello,’

‘How are you?’

‘Fine.’

‘Mind if I sit?’

Laurent shrugged to say that he didn’t care either way and Damen took it as a yes and flopped on the beach towel next to Laurent.

‘We’re you okay at the hospital?’ he asked and he sounded so sincere, maybe he did care a little about Laurent.

‘If you call mild concussion okay,’ Laurent replied, and he was steadfastly not looking at Damen, not peeking out of the corner of his eye at the way Damen’s abs curled as he lay propped up on one arm.

‘Shit, okay, not great then,’

‘I told you I’m fine...however, my brother has banned me from setting more than a toe in the sea.’

‘Well that’s a bit annoying,’ said Damen, ‘How am I supposed to save your life now?’

Laurent huffed. ‘You are incorrigible,’ he accused, looking at Damen properly now. ‘And for God’s sake cover up or something, that amount of skin is not decent.’

‘Well I would,’ said Damen, ‘But I gave my jacket to a very handsome man and he’s run off with it,’

‘What a shame,’ said Laurent with absolutely no sympathy. ‘Guess I’ll just have to lend you a jacket then,’ and he rummaged in his bag before removing the neatly laundered and folded lifeguard jacket belonging to Damen.

‘Aw thanks!’ cried the lifeguard, taking the jacket off Laurent and putting it around his shoulders, ‘Hey wait, did you wash this? It smells like you,’

‘It does not!’ protested Laurent although deep down he was secretly pleased.

‘It so does, cleaning powder, a hint of mint, and something...something like pine because you’re so prickly.’

Laurent practically gaped.

‘That’s....that’s absurd.’

Damen just laughed, and Laurent thought that perhaps he was flirting with him. Well fine, he might do a little flirting back.

‘So, saved any more lives recently? Doled out any more kisses?’

‘I rescued Nik from a seagull yesterday who was trying to fly off with his sandwich, but apart from that no, and no kisses unfortunately, that handsome man from before hasn’t come back yet.’

‘Holding out for him are you?’

‘Yes, why, you interested?’

And it was the same question Auguste had asked him before.

‘I-‘ started Laurent, struggling a bit, ‘might be,’ he pushed the words out, unfamiliarity colouring the tone.

There was a pause. He looked down at Damen. Damen who was smiling up at him so sappily Laurent was reminded of an oversized puppy.

‘Come paddle in the shallows,’ Damen said abruptly, ‘I need to be on duty, Nik will kill me if I stay here too long.’

Laurent hesitated, but then he turned to his bag and pulled out a bottle of suncream. He tossed it to Damen. ‘Here.’

‘What?-‘

Laurent started unbuttoned his shirt and really that was worth it for Damen’s expression alone.

‘If you want me to leave the shade and come paddle in the shallows like a toddler then do your bit and rub suncream on my back,’ said Laurent. ‘I burn horribly.’

‘Right,’ said Damen, looking down at the bottle and back up at Laurent who had now divested himself of his shirt and was just in his swim shorts.

Laurent swivelled and presented his back to Damen. ‘Come on then. And pass the bottle back; I’ll do my arms and legs.’

And really, this was the best idea Laurent had ever had. Or possibly the worst. Because as soon as Damen’s hands started smoothing in the cream on his back Laurent realised how nice it was to have those hands on him. And how gentle they were being, how thorough; making sure every inch was covered.

Laurent’s breath hitched as Damen’s palms splayed on his back, fingers coming around to brush his ribs.

He could feel Damen’s breath stutter too, hot along his spine.

‘Front next,’ said Damen, a little gruff.

And no. Laurent really should say no to that but he found himself turning back around and leaning back on his forearms, torso all laid out for Damen.

Damen swallowed. Laurent could see his Adams apple bob. His expression was one of disbelief, like he hadn’t actually expected Laurent to present himself like that.

‘You know,’ drawled Laurent, faking a confidence his did not quite feel, ‘You’ll need this if you’re actually planning on applying the suncream.’ He handed the bottle back over and Damen took it, flipping up the cap and squirting some onto his hand.

‘You’re okay with this?’ he said. ‘Because last time I touched you without permission you started throwing accusations around.’

Laurent flushed a little in embarrassment.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I... thank you for saving my life.’

‘Your welcome,’ said Damen simply.

They stared at one another then. Blue eyes meeting brown and some understanding passed between them. That whatever this was between them was something.

Something they both wanted.

Damen cautiously pressed his hand to Laurent’s chest and began to work in the suncream. Laurent watched his face as he rubbed the lotion across his clavicle, his collar bone. He worked with precise rubs, only pausing to get more of the cream as he worked his way down Laurent’s torso. His fingers trailed over pink nipples and Laurent let out a tiny gasp as the sensation.

Damen glanced up at him sharply.

‘Did you think I was made of stone?’ Laurent asked, as both pink buds were hard now.

‘No,’ replied Damen. ‘You are so vulnerably human.’ His hands were smoothing over Laurent’s stomach now, rubbing in cream across the planes, swirling around his navel. And then, fingers dropping tantalisingly low as they found the beginning of the trail of hair that led even lower under Laurent’s shorts.

‘When I,’ spoke Damen, his voice deep, ‘pulled you out of the water, set you down on the beach. You were so pale and cold. But then I-‘

‘-kiss me.’

Damen looked into Laurent’s face, and Laurent felt like he was drowning all over again. Drowning and he needed saving.

‘Kiss me,’ he repeated.  
Damen needed no further encouragement. He leaned in and pressed his mouth to Laurent’s.

Laurent melted into the kiss, everything reeling from the sensation of it. But then he kissed Damen back and the world stopped. Everything still except for this one movement.

It was soft. Not like what Laurent had expected.

Damen’s lips were chapped but they moved against his softly, chastely. He drew back a little and then moved in to kiss him once more. Firmer, a little more pressure.

Laurent sighed as Damen pulled away again.

‘Was it like that?’ he asked, ‘Mouth to mouth?’

‘No,’ said Damen and fuck his voice sounded ragged.

His hand, still on Laurent’s chest, pressed forward until Laurent sank down and was lying on his back looking up at Damen’s face.

‘More like this,’ he said, bending down and kissing Laurent full on the mouth. It was a long kiss, seconds dragging out as Damen parted his lips and encouraged Laurent to open his too, a tongue darting inside.

Laurent could hardly breathe. His hands came up to tangle in Damen’s hair as the kiss deepened. He tugged him closer, needing him closer, and the kiss got messy and desperate. And then when Damen pulled off panting and began to press kisses into Laurent’s skin, along his jaw, down his neck,

Laurent turned his face into the crook of Damen’s neck and _inhaled_.

Fuck he smelt so good. It was like the jacket but better, stronger, headier.

It made him want Damen. Want more of him.

Using the fingers in Damen’s hair he pulled the man’s face from where it had been nuzzling into his neck and back to his insistent mouth.

Damen made a low, satisfied noise that emanated from his throat, and it made Laurent’s stomach drop.

His hands dropped from Damen’s hair and ran down the back of his neck, ducking under the collar of the jacket and running over his broad shoulders. Laurent could feel the muscles there. Feel them move when Damen shifted position to plant an elbow either side of Laurent’s head so he could lower further to deepen his kisses.

They kissed again and again, heated and wanting. Laurent all about forgot where he was; he just needed more of Damen.

And when Damen nipped at his lower lip he gasped into it, barely repressing the shudder that ran through his body.

And then Damen was pulling back, pulling away and Laurent was forced to retract his hands from where they had been splayed over Damen’s glorious shoulder blades.

Laurent felt dazed as he looked up into Damen’s dark face.

Damen, in contrast, looked focused, primed. But then he drew a hand over his face and groaned. ‘Fuck...I’m on duty.’

‘I don’t care,’ said Laurent and if he weren’t so turned on he’d be embarrassed by the whine in his tone when he’d normally aim for something detached, superior.

Damen looked at him, and Laurent could tell he was debating in his head what he should be doing.

It was hardly fair, although Laurent felt smug that he came so close to compromising Damen’s priorities. He sat up and solved Damen’s dilemma.

‘Go on,’ he said, ‘Go back and save some lives, be all heroic. I’ll come play in the waves and you can pretend you’re not checking me out.’

‘I’m not very good at pretending,’ said Damen with a grin. But he rolled away from Laurent and got up, stooping to emerge from under the parasol.

‘I’ll look for you,’ he said, dawdling and watching Laurent’s face. Laurent nodded.

Then Damen turned and jogged over the sand back towards the lifeguard tower.

Laurent watched him go. Appreciating those shoulders he’d had his hands on moments ago and that arse which he’d not had chance to look at before.

Once Damen was a safe distance away to no longer be a distraction, Laurent finished carefully applying suncream to his face before setting off to the waters edge. It didn’t taken him long to spot Auguste and Jord who were waist deep in the water and wolf-whistling him. He gave them a rude hand gesture in return.

Auguste waded to the shoreline to meet his brother.

‘Well, well, well,’ he said with a smirk. ‘I leave you alone for two minutes and suddenly you’re snogging the lifeguard.’

‘Don’t pretend this is anything like the times I’ve walked in on you and your various girlfriends,’ snapped Laurent. ‘I’m still mentally scarred from some of the things I witnessed when I was younger.’

‘Errr......fair point,’ said Auguste a little ruefully, but then he brightened again. ‘But should I expect more of this? It’s not like you to progress from a crush to actually doing something about it. A Summer fling might be fun but is that what you want?’

Truthfully, Laurent hadn’t thought about the fact that it was quite possible this was a summer fling, at least on Damen’s part. He’d not felt this level of attraction towards someone so strong or so quickly and it had rather taken over his thoughts.

Last night he’d been consumed with thoughts of just seeing Damen again, of perhaps talking to him and that’s when he’d had the idea to wash the lifeguard jacket and give it back to him; it was a way into a conversation. Because Laurent, bold and cutting when he wanted to be, found himself incredibly shy when talking to people he actually wanted to like him.

But then Damen had approached him and they’d been flirting and touching and then kissing....and it was so very very nice that Laurent hadn’t thought that this wasn’t the start of something more long lasting than a summer fling.

Something must have shown on his face as Auguste looked concerned.

‘I...I like him,’ Laurent managed.

Auguste smiled at him encouragingly. ‘That’s fine,’ he said, ‘And he likes you back if having his tongue in your mouth is any indication-‘  
Laurent kicked water at him playfully.

‘So just talk to him about what you want,’ said Auguste, continuing, ‘just so you’re both clear what it is between you.’

Laurent looked at him for a long moment, contemplating the words. He did need to talk to Damen, he didn’t much want to but he supposed they needed to be on the same page. Could he have a quick fling like that? Could he just experience the fleeting nature of a summer romance?

He wasn’t sure he could.

He was interrupted from his reverie by Jord rushing up to both of them and splashing Laurent fully in the face. He spluttered, indignant and launched at his best friend, determined to get pay back.

The morning continued like that, the three of them staying in the shallows, splashing and throwing a ball around.

As the sun approached midday, Auguste, facing Laurent, nodded to something behind him. Or rather someone.

Damen was fast approaching where they were in the sea, advancing rather spectacularly on a surfboard.

Laurent didn’t hold back on rolling his eyes. Or course Damen was a good surfer.

And he was good. Laurent watched him skillfully negotiate the waves and just before he was about to come upon them, waist deep in the sea, he jumped off his board with a big splash, coming up seconds later with his hair all plastered to his face.

He stood up and waded over to Laurent and the others, shaking his hair out of his face like a wet dog.

‘Nice one!’ called out Auguste. Damen grinned widely.

‘Good day for it,’ he said cheerfully. And then to Laurent, ‘Hi,’

‘Hi’ replied Laurent neutrally.

‘What did you think?’  
‘Angling for compliments are we?’ said Laurent.

‘No! I just...that's not- I just wondered if you surfed or anything,’

‘We don’t live near the sea,’ sniffed Laurent.

‘Ah,’ replied Damen. ‘Kind of makes surfing difficult then,’

‘Yes’ said Laurent and he noticed out of the corner of his eye Auguste and Jord we’re heading back up the beach, probably for lunch, giving the two of them some space and time to talk. He lingered in the shallows and watched Damen reeling his board in and tucking it under his arm.

Laurent eyed it warily.

Damen noticed. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, patting the board, ‘This one won’t be going rogue and there’s a lifeguard on hand to rescue anyone if there was trouble.’

Laurent huffed and Damen’s smile got even wider.

‘So where are you guys from?’ he asked, falling in step with Laurent as they started to make towards the beach.

‘Up North,’ replied Laurent and he gave the city name.

‘No way!’ exclaimed Damen, ‘I’m starting my PhD there in September!’

Laurent stopped dead in the water.

‘You’re....you’re studying at the university?’ And he didn’t mean it to sound so breathless.

‘Yeah! I mean, it’s taken a while, you know for me to decide what I wanna do and I know twenty-six is a bit late to decide to go back to uni when I finished my Masters five years ago but yeah, oh wow. We’ll be in the same city.’

And suddenly, Laurent’s mind was whirling, possibilities of...of something between them actually, maybe, having a chance at being more than a summer thing, maybe an autumn and winter and spring thing too.

But he was getting ahead of himself.

Damen had faltered as well, ‘I mean, I guess that’s if you even want to hang out with me. You’re probably too busy and I’m assuming things-‘

‘No I do!’ interrupted Laurent and they were facing each other now.

‘What?’

‘I do want to hang out, I want to...see more of you, I don’t want this to just- to just be a summer fling!’

Damen was staring at him and Laurent couldn’t read the expression on his face.  
He cleared his throat but he still sounded somewhat hoarse when he spoke, ‘I...I never saw you as just a summer fling’ he said seriously, ‘Laurent, I’ve never- I really like you and I know we don’t know each other but I really want to get to know you, I want to know more about you, what you like, what you don’t like, what makes you get that indignant expression on your face- yes that one!- I want to know you Laurent.’

‘Oh’ and that was all Laurent had.

They stood there for several long moments, the only noise being the waves lapping at their ankles.

‘Is that... is that okay with you?’ Damen asked hesitantly.

‘Yes,’ replied Laurent quietly, ‘Yes, I’d like that very much.’

Damen smiled, ‘Is it a bit too much to ask you over for dinner tonight?’

Laurent dithered for a few seconds before deciding if he was in for a penny he was in for a pound and said yes.

The response made Damen beam and Laurent decided he wanted to make Damen have that expression as often as possible.

They made their way up the beach and Damen sat and had lunch with Laurent, Auguste and Jord. The time passed quickly as he was good company, cracking jokes and telling stories. Laurent was quieter over the meal, he preferred to watch and listen, occasionally chipping in with remarks or glaring as Auguste told some embarrassing story about him. But all in all it was very enjoyable.(And Laurent was relieved Damen was wearing his rash vest because those abs did not need to be a distraction right now.)

Soon though, Damen had to return to work; his lunch break over and an afternoon of life guarding duty ahead of him. He collected his surfboard and hefting it under his arm he said to Laurent, ‘I finish at five, come meet me at the lifeguard tower?’

Laurent went bright red but nodded; feeling the looks from his brother and best friend searing into the back of his head.

‘Amazing,’ said Damen with another smile, did he smile ALL the time? And then set off for the lifeguard station.

‘What the fuck was that about?’ said Jord.

Laurent turned back to two faces staring at him open mouthed.

‘I...um...Damen invited me over for tea at his...tonight,’ explained Laurent.

Auguste frowned but Jord gaped.

‘It’s not like that!’ cried Laurent, sensing where their thoughts were taking them. ‘It’s just a date.’

‘Did you talk to him?’ pressed Auguste.

‘Yes,’ said Laurent exasperated, and he explained how Damen was going to be in the same city as them come the autumn.

Auguste’s whole demeanour changed, ‘Ohhhhh,’ he said dragging out the sound teasingly. ‘Well then, have fun little brother.’

‘Shut up,’ grumbled Laurent.

Laurent spent the remainder of the afternoon reading in the shade of the parasol. Partly to keep his fair skin out of the sun, partly because it gave him a good view of Damen.

Granted, he couldn’t see him too well, he was more of a speck sat on the tower now that the tide had gone out, but it was nice to keep him in view all the same.

As 5 o’clock approached Auguste and Jord started packing up their belongings and the parasol leaving Laurent with just his bag.

‘Text me when you want picking up’ said Auguste as he shouldered his bag.

‘Or not’ added Jord with a grin.

Laurent shot him a look.

The two of them left, not quick enough - the conversation descending rapidly into innuendo -and Laurent remained, setting off for the lifeguard station.

Damen was waiting for him as he walked up, leaning against the metal frame of the platform. He had a white t-shirt on and was wearing the jacket Laurent had returned.

‘You came,’ he said.

‘I did.’

‘Come on then,’ said Damen and he held out a hand to Laurent. Laurent hesitated for a second but took it.

It felt right, having his hand in Damen’s. His slim fingers slotting naturally between Damen’s larger ones.

Damen led him along the beach, going much further along than Laurent had gone before. They walked along the shoreline; their way made easier by the firm damp sand.

‘How was your afternoon?’ Damen asked.

Laurent shrugged and told him about the book he’d been reading not expecting Damen to be particularly interested. But on the contrary, Damen listened attentively, asking follow up questions, seeming genuinely fascinated and absorbed by what he had to say.

It was nice. And it was easy. It was so easy to walk along the beach with Damen, to hold hands with Damen, to talk to Damen to kiss Damen.

Laurent stopped walking. Damen almost stumbled but swung around ‘What?-‘

But his question was stifled by Laurent’s mouth on his.

It was just one kiss but Laurent felt a thrill at being able to initiate it, and it being welcome. Very welcome if Damen’s reaction was anything to go by. He dropped his bag on the sand and grabbed Laurent by the waist, pulling him in to make the kiss deeper, longer.

They pulled apart after a few wonderful seconds.

Damen rested his forehead on Laurent’s. ‘What was that for?’ he asked.

Laurent glanced into Damen’s eyes but they were too much and his own fluttered shut. ‘I felt like it,’ he said with a small smile.

‘Well, feel like that anytime,’ said Damen and he kissed Laurent again on the mouth, chaste and perfect.

Until a large wave came in and up to their calves.

Damen yelled and started running after his bag which had been taken by the wave and was now being dragged back into the ocean.

Laurent laughed. And laughed. And laughed some more. And when Damen came back to shore, sopping bag in hand and very disgruntled, Laurent was forced to run down the beach with Damen in hot pursuit, chasing him and shouting at him for finding the situation funny.

Damen caught up with him at the end, or rather Laurent let himself be caught and Damen grabbed him around the waist, lifting him up and swinging him around, Laurent’s long legs kicking out. Damen then masterfully manoeuvred him into a position which facilitated the lifeguard sweeping him up onto his shoulder.

‘Let me down you brute!’ cried Laurent, wriggling his legs and arms but Damen just gripped him tighter and started walking up a track which led away from the beach.

It wasn’t very far to the car park but by the time they got there Laurent’s face was flaming. Whether it was from embarrassment or Damen’s arm being so close to his arse he wouldn’t say.

Damen set him down on the pavement and after smoothing himself down and giving himself a minute to calm his rosy face, Laurent looked around, ‘Where’s your car?’

‘Don’t have one,’ said Damen cheerily, ‘but I do have a bike,’ and he pointed to a sleek black motorcycle standing on the tarmac. Laurent looked at him flatly, ‘You are fucking joking.’

‘No,’ said Damen, walking over to the bike and retrieving two helmets. He handed one to Laurent. Laurent was looking sceptical and so Damen said ‘Come on, it’s not far, put the helmet on and hold on tight, I won’t go that fast.’

It seemed Laurent had very little choice. However he was nothing if not a trier and so after securing the helmet on his head and his bag on his back he carefully stepped up to the bike and straddled it behind Damen. He slid his hands around Damen’s waist and gripped hard onto his lifeguard jacket, trying not to dwell on how intimate this was. Damen waited until he was settled and started the engine.

Damen hadn’t been lying, it wasn’t a long journey but it was exhilarating. They whistled down the country roads and then into the outskirts of the seaside town, coming to a stop at a small terraced house on a narrow street. Damen parked the bike and Laurent hopped off, unhooking his helmet.

‘How was that?’ asked Damen, taking off his own helmet.

‘Fine,’ shrugged Laurent.

‘Fine?’ echoed Damen, ‘Okay, just fine then.’

He stepped up to the front door of the house, painted a bright red as opposed to the houses either side which had green and blue doors, and unlocked it.

‘Welcome,’ said Damen leading the way into the hallway inside. Laurent followed and set his bag down in the hallway.

It was small but cheerful, with colourful furnishings here and there giving the house a cosy feel. The kitchen was at the back of the house and overlooked a long garden which led down to the brook Damen told him.

‘It’s nice,’ said Laurent and he meant it. He was standing by the large window above the kitchen sink through which he could see the mowed lawn. Damen came to stand behind him and put his arms around Laurent, mimicking the reverse of how they’d been on the motorbike.

‘Is this okay?’ he asked as Laurent had frozen a little at the touch.

Laurent relaxed a moment later, ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘Just...just don’t surprise me by touching me.’

Damen made to withdraw but Laurent grabbed his forearm and kept him where he was. ‘It’s fine,’ he said, ‘I like this, it’s...good.’

Damen sighed and brought his chin to rest on Laurent’s right shoulder. ‘I’m sorry, you’ll have to let me know if you’re not comfortable with anything, I promise I’ll listen and do whatever I can.’

‘Thank you,’ replied Laurent, he ran his fingers along Damen’s arm, trailing fingers through the dark hair on them. He repeated the action for a while before turning in Damen’s arms and sliding his arms around Damen’s neck.

‘Let’s kiss,’ he said.

So they did.

Damen had Laurent pressed up against the kitchen counter a hand bracing himself on the surface either side of Laurent. Laurent’s hands had woven their way into Damen’s hair, fingers lacing through the dark curls.

Damen was quite enthusiastically exploring Laurent’s mouth with his tongue which was causing Laurent’s brain to short circuit. He was fairly sure his inexperience was showing. Damen was clearly a far more experienced kisser than he was, but he was happy for Damen to take the lead, for Damen to press closer and closer and then moan, deep and wanting into his mouth.

Laurent shuddered, pulling his face away to breathe rapidly, all oxygen having fled his lungs.

Damen was now suckling kisses in Laurent’s neck trying to discover where was sensitive and oh he couldn’t think.

‘I...was..’ said Damen in between kisses, ‘going...to cook...you dinner,’

Laurent pulled Damen back up for a searing kiss on the mouth. ‘Fuck dinner,’ he said with almost a growl.

Damen stared at him, ‘Wait, what?’

And Laurent stared back. He wanted more of Damen, and he wanted it now. His mind was made up.

‘Upstairs,’ he ordered, ‘bedroom. Unless you want to fuck me against the counter?’ He looked down at the counter consideringly.

‘No,’ said Damen a little hoarse.

‘What, you don’t put out on the first date?’

‘Well,’ said Damen in a strangled voice, ‘I... if that’s what you want- I mean I want to... fuck- I’ve wanted to ever since I saw you but that wasn’t my intention when I invited you over.’

Laurent softened at his words, ‘I know,’ he replied. ‘And that’s why I agreed to come back with you. And I wasn’t considering it at first but I’ve decided I want to...with you.’

‘Okay,’ said Damen and it came out more like a question than a statement.

‘Okay,’ said Laurent, looking up at him. And he saw no hidden agenda, no wanting to get with him as some sort of achievement to boast about. Just plain desire, honest and simple. And oh how Laurent wanted it to be simple.

Damen took him by the hand and led him upstairs. There were two bedrooms and a bathroom that Laurent could make out before he almost walked smack into Damen’s back.

‘Umm, do you want a shower first?’ he asked Laurent hesitantly. ‘I probably ought to shower, I’ve been in and out of the sea all day.’

Laurent considered, ‘Yes okay,’ he said. Then he cooked his head, ‘Together?’

Damen looked up to the ceiling like he was throwing a prayer to someone.

‘I’m going to resist and say no for now because it will be quicker this way. But another time, yes.’

Laurent smirked, ‘I’ll hold you to that.’  
Damen opened the airing cupboard and found Laurent some spare towels and ushered him into the bathroom. Laurent shut the door and gazed around, it was small but serviceable. He stripped off and stepped into the shower. As soon as the water started to run he thanked Damen for suggesting this. It felt nice to sluice all the suncream off his body and rinse the salt from his hair. He used the shampoo and body lotion that was on the shelf and almost puddled at the smell. It was what Damen smelled like. Well, this and his natural man odour Laurent supposed, which was probably sweat in all honesty. Laurent didn’t care. Damen smelt amazing.

He wasn’t long in the shower and dried himself off quickly. Throwing his clothes on again but leaving his shirt unbuttoned. It seemed pointless to do it up unless he wanted to create an obstacle for Damen and he wasn’t that petty.

He opened the door and made his way along the tiny landing to the master bedroom. Damen was sitting on the bed waiting for him.

‘Good?’ he asked. Laurent nodded.

Damen stood and moved past him, slowing only to peck him on the cheek. ‘Don’t go anywhere,’ he called behind him, almost rushing to the bathroom.

Laurent smiled at that. _Where exactly was he going to go?_ He glanced around the bedroom, it was not messy but there were items of clothing left out, some weights in the corner and a pile of textbooks on top of a chest of drawers. Laurent skimmed the titles, fingers trailing over the spines. These were university level books.

It wasn’t that Laurent didn’t believe Damen, it was just seeing the physical evidence of his planned studies made everything suddenly more real.

This wasn’t a summer fling. It wasn’t a quick one night stand. It was quite possibly the start of something long and wonderful and exciting.

Laurent felt a flash of nervousness. Before, in the kitchen, he wanted Damen. Wanted him so fucking much it was slightly terrifying. Now....he wasn’t changing his mind, not at all but....oh God he’d not done this before and what if he did it wrong?

Damen was clearly someone who’d had lots of sex and was confident in the physical aspect of a relationship. Laurent had never been in a relationship, never done anything more than kiss, certainly never had sex. He knew the mechanics, explicitly knew the mechanics thanks to a long night with a red-faced Auguste when he was ten years old.

Oh lord, maybe this was too much too soon.  
But then Damen was walking back into the room with just a towel around his waist and the nerves were far surpassed by the jolt of desire that hit Laurent.

He stopped a few paces into the room and stood there, letting Laurent look.

‘Like what you see?’

‘Mmmm,’ hummed Laurent, ‘It’s nothing I’ve not seen before.’ He thought back to earlier that day where Damen had rested next to him on the beach, droplets of water shimmering in the sun on his bare chest.

‘Oh?’ said Damen moving closer and raising an eyebrow.

‘Well I guess it’s a hazard of the job,’ murmured Laurent, drawing closer as well and reaching out fingertips to trace patterns on Damen’s unbelievable chest. ‘You know the fact that people might try to attract your attention by pretending to drown.’

‘Is that what you did?’ asked Damen with a barely suppressed laugh.

‘Absolutely,’ replied Laurent, ‘I completely faked drowning just to get your mouth on mine.’

‘Seems like you’ve achieved that anyway,’ said Damen low and close, his face moving in as he breathed the words over Laurent, ‘No drowning necessary, accidental or otherwise.’

And they were kissing, again, and yet Laurent thought he was never going to be tired of it. It was different each time, exploratory, tentative, sweet, chaste, heated, passionate and now, determined.

Laurent shrugged out of his shirt and returned his hands to exploring Damen’s torso. Running down the skin, across his abs then around his waist. Damen in turn ran his hands through Laurent’s wet hair surely making a mess but Laurent couldn’t find it in him to care.

He didn’t know how long they stood there kissing but a some indeterminable point Damen walked backwards to the bed and sat on it.

The change in angle meant that Laurent was now above Damen, looking down. He gazed into the warm, brown eyes and felt something he couldn’t name lurch in his stomach.

Laurent took Damen’s face in his hands and kissed him, bolder, hungrier. Damen settled back, clearly delighted for Laurent to take the lead because he was letting out groans which Laurent could feel within him. He pressed closer and Damen’s legs spread wider so Laurent could stand between them. Damen’s hands which had been on Laurent’s waist, thumbs tracing circles on the skin, now moved lower, fingers dipping under the hem of his shorts.

Laurent gasped, mouth falling open against Damen as the air rushed from his lungs. _Oh fuck._

Damen was grinning into the kiss at getting that reaction from him, Laurent could tell because he felt his lips turn up, and a rumble emanate from his chest. Laurent nipped at Damen’s lower lip in retaliation which in turn resulted in Damen practically growling and his hands gripping Laurent’s arse and pulling him in.

However, Laurent resisted being pulled flush against Damen, he had something else in mind. Emboldened, he tugged at the towel around Damen, discarding it on the floor.

Damen was exposed before him, his arousal evident. Laurent felt heat pool in his lower abdomen, and his own cock beginning to stir. Turned on by the sight of Damen, all there in front of him, desirous and amorous.

Laurent reached out with a miraculously steady hand to take hold of him, the feel of his cock smooth and hot. He stroked up and down a few times before pressing his thumb into the slit at the head.

Damen moaned and his head dropped to lean against Laurent’s stomach, obscuring his view.

‘This okay?’ asked Laurent, fervently hoping he was doing something right.

It was a moment before Damen responded, he pulled back a little and looked up at Laurent.

‘Fuck, yes,’ he breathed, low and wanting. His pupils were blown wide. He started kissing Laurent’s abdomen, open mouthed kisses, hot and imprecise.

‘What do you want?’ he asked Laurent and it startled him a bit.

Laurent wasn’t sure what he wanted.

‘You,’ he replied, his hand still on Damen, fingers still trailing the length of him. Slightly slick now with the precome leaking from the tip.

‘Mmmmhmm,’ said Damen, swirling a tongue in Laurent’s navel that caused a tremor to run through him. Laurent’s legs were starting to feel unsteady.

‘But how do you want this?’ he asked again, insistent.

Laurent decided to be honest. He withdrew his hand from around Damen’s cock and said ‘I don’t know what I want,’ he said, ‘I don’t- I’ve never-‘

‘That’s okay,’ came the reply, soothing Laurent’s nerves. Then, ‘I really want to blow you,’ Damen said. ‘Can I?’

Laurent blinked down at him, quiet for so long Damen looked up from where he’d been mouthing at Laurent’s hip.

‘Y-yes,’ stuttered Laurent. And then he blushed because he was losing his words and it was so difficult to think when Damen was looking like that and offering him a blow job. ‘But I wont...reciprocate.’

Damen shrugged and replied that that was okay. And Laurent found himself breathing easier. There were nerves of course, but he was laying himself bare here, putting out his insecurities and Damen was responding so reassuringly each time.

Damen, sensing that Laurent needed him to take the lead here, encouraged him to lie back on the bed. Laurent spent a few seconds settling himself on his back and getting comfortable. Damen came up alongside him and placed a palm on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. It was fast.

‘Let me make you feel good,’ Damen murmured, moving in close to talk into Laurent’s ear. Laurent shivered in response.

Yes, he wanted that.

He turned his head to meet Damen’s gaze in assent and then Damen was leaning in to kiss his neck and _oh there_....the spot just down from his ear was so sensitive Laurent felt that in his _toes_.

He felt himself get fully hard, his body anticipatory and wired.

Damen began to make his way down Laurent’s chest over thin skin and sharp angles, blazing a trail of hot licks, kisses and oh God a scrape of teeth. Light, but a contrast to the soft, almost worshipful kisses he’d planted on Laurent’s stomach before.

And then he was suckling on a nipple and Laurent was arching his back against the bed, hands scrabbling on the sheets for purchase. He moaned. A sound he never thought he’d make and certainly not in this situation. Damen applied himself with enthusiasm and Laurent found himself helpless against that mouth on his skin

Oh lord, he didn’t think he was going to manage if Damen ever made it as far as down between his legs.  
Coherent thoughts were rapidly leaking from his brain. Like a sieve they were trickling away leaving him with just feeling and sensation remaining.

More moans and sighs were pulled from his lungs by Damen’s unrelenting open mouth.

And then fingers were at his shorts and querying permission. Laurent lifted his hips enough for Damen to remove all the last items of clothing, leaving Laurent naked on the bed.

His cock, hard for a while, lay on his abdomen, precome beading at the tip.

Laurent would have felt self-conscious if he had any room for feeling other than pure want. Damen settled back on the bed between Laurent’s legs which were splayed wide, inviting.

‘ _Damen_.’

He looked up at Laurent and smiled that wide disarming smile. Before lowering his head and mouthing at the inside of Laurent’s thighs.

And Laurent wanted to be annoyed, he really did, because he didn’t want Damen’s mouth there he wanted it on his cock but what Damen was doing felt so good, _so good_ , and he didn’t have the spare breath to complain.

Damen nipped and sucked at the skin, lathing over any soreness with his tongue. And Laurent was finding it hard to breath, thinking was impossible, rational thought long since fled.

He was shuddering regularly now, breaths being forced out of him, sounds pulled from his chest.

Laurent felt dazed, he looked down at Damen, eyes struggling to focus. And that’s when Damen finally, finally put his tongue on Laurent’s cock. Licking a stripe up the underside from root to tip. Laurent dropped his head back on the bed. An arm flung over his eyes.

It was too much. But not enough.

Damen held him in his hand and started suckling at head in earnest. Laurent’s knuckles turned white where they were gripping the bedsheets so hard. He felt too hot but was shivering from sensation.

The only sounds in the room were Laurent’s heavy breathing -occasionally cut off with a strangled moan- and the obscene sound of Damen sucking his cock.

Then Damen swallowed him down in a practised motion.

Time didn’t exist. Everything was one long, utter moment, all Laurent could do was experience the extreme pleasure Damen was giving him. Cheeks hollowing as he rose up before taking him deeply again.

Laurent had never imagined he could feel like this, had never dreamed he would get to experience this. He’d kept everyone at arms length for so long. But then Damen had come along and disarmed him on the spot.

Damen wasn’t seeking a trophy, wasn’t seeking a prize, or a leg over. Damen wanted to know him.

Damen had saved his life but this wasn’t pay back, wasn’t Laurent owing something. Damen was happy with whatever Laurent wanted to give him. And Laurent wanted to give him this.

It was going to be over incredibly quickly. Laurent could feel his orgasm build and build.

He tried to warn Damen, to tell him but he had no breath whatsoever left in his lungs.

Suddenly it crested and Laurent’s vision whitened as the climax hit him full on and absolute.

And Damen was there, swallowing everything he spilled and stroking his thighs as Laurent shuddered above him.

As Laurent came back to himself he was aware of Damen lying alongside him stroking soft, lax fingers up and down his side. It was soothing.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he said in the quiet of the room.

And it was so amusing that it drew a bubble of a giggle from Laurent. Unguarded, his emotions seeped through, no longer kept in check. No longer every move scrutinised.

‘What?’ replied Damen, smiling too.

‘Normally that’s the first thing people say to me,’ he said.

‘Well I guess we met under unusual circumstances,’ said Damen.

‘What was the first thing you said to me?’ asked Laurent.

‘Can’t remember,’ said Damen.

Laurent smiled up at him, rolling onto his side next to Damen. He glanced down, Damen’s cock was still hard, flagging a little, but unspent.

‘What do you want?’ asked Laurent, an echo of Damen earlier.

‘I- nothing you don’t have to-‘

‘I know,’ said Laurent, ‘but I want to. I want to make you feel good. What do you like?’

‘I want your hand,’ said Damen. He reached over and furtled with something and then a bottle of lube was pressed into Laurent’s hand. ‘Here.’

Laurent sat up, it was an effort to push himself up on loose arms; he didn’t feel completely in control of his motor functions. He deigned to tell Damen this however, feeling it would only stoke his ego. But Damen was smirking at him anyway, likely guessing how limbless Laurent felt. With a little manoeuvring which he was positive was not at all graceful, he managed to straddle Damen’s thighs, feeling the muscles flex and tense a little under him. Laurent flipped the top of the bottle and smeared the lube onto his hand. Then reaching down with a confidence he didn’t completely feel he took hold of Damen and started up a slow rhythm. It was easier this time; his hand slick with little resistance.

He took it slow, watching Damen below him, analysing his face to discover what he liked. He liked it when Laurent twisted his hand over the head, when he pressed a slippery thumb into the slit at the tip. It was easy to read him; looking down and watching how Damen’s breath hitched when he twisted his wrist, how his eyes became heavy lidded when he gripped him more firmly.  
It also helped that between breaths Damen offered little moans and words of encouragement.

Laurent deliberately kept the pace slow, not to tease intentionally but to let things build. He liked this. He liked the control it gave him. He liked pulling these reactions from Damen. Seeing him become wanton with arousal underneath him; hips trying to thrust up into Laurent’s fist until he learned his spare hand on Damen’s hip and held him in place, forcing him to endure the steady pace Laurent was setting.

Damen whined at the action and Laurent hushed him. ‘You can take it,’ he said, ‘Don’t rush.’

‘Fuck,’ swore Damen. ‘Laurent I’m close,’

‘Don’t rush,’ repeated Laurent and he maintained his rhythm, albeit with some difficultly because Damen was keening beneath him, hips rolling almost unconsciously seeking more and his hands were doing a good impression of shredding the bedsheets.

And then he was spilling over Laurent’s fist, hot and wet. Laurent stroking him through his release, prolonging it, intensifying it.

Damen’s whole body shuddered under him; causing Laurent to tremble too. It was heady, and the only thing Laurent could think of was that they needed to do this again and again and never stop.

Ignoring his sticky hand for the moment, Laurent leaned down and kissed Damen’s panting mouth sweetly.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he repeated it back sincerely.

‘God...Laurent...’ Damen looked wrecked, it was a good look Laurent thought. One only he would be getting to see from now on, of that he was certain.

Laurent slid off Damen and the bed and padded to the bathroom to wash his hands and anywhere else he felt needed cleaning. Sex did work up a sweat.

He paused with his hands on the sink rim, just savouring the moment, locking it in his mind. Then, he was returning to the bedroom, washcloth in hand.  
Damen was sat up when he returned, his

eyes flitting to Laurent as he entered the room.

‘Are you?-‘

‘I thought to-‘

They both spoke at once. Laurent held up the cloth as explanation.

Damen’s expression softened so perceptibly Laurent was suddenly hesitant. ‘Come here,’ he gestured and lay back down on the bed. Laurent chambered up beside him and wiped him down.

On impulse he tossed the damp cloth onto Damen’s face.

‘Hey!’

Laurent giggled and Damen chuckled in response. He threw the cloth in a vague direction of the doorway and grabbed hold of Laurent and yanked him close.

Laurent wriggled but to no avail. He was powerless as Damen reeled him in for what could only be described as a bear hug.

‘You...’ said Damen kissing any available skin of Laurent’s that he could reach, ‘Are...adorable....you know that?’

‘Fuck right off,’ said Laurent in protest as he tried and failed miserably to escape Damen’s embrace.

Eventually he had to accept defeat and acquiesce to Damen’s overbearing cuddling.

‘Is it going to be like this every time?’ he asked disgruntled (although secretly liking the way their legs were intertwined).

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Oh Lord, well that’s it we’re never having sex again,’ said Laurent.

Damen whined.

‘Oh shush,’

They lay there quietly for a while. The only sounds being their breathing and the birds outside the window where pink light from a glorious sunset was seeping through the curtains.

‘Was that good for you?’ asked Laurent, hesitation lacing his tone.

‘Laurent it was amazing,’ said Damen, ‘And I’ll tell you why before you interrupt me. It was because it was you. I like you, a lot. And I really like talking with you, kissing you, having sex with you, just...just being with you. You’re what makes everything amazing.’

‘I don’t-‘ Laurent was lost for words.  
Damen waited patiently for him to collect himself. Yet another thing he appreciated about Damen.

‘I like you,’ confessed Laurent, after a long moment ‘I really like you. I want – I want to be with you...in a relationship.’

Damen looked down at him until he caught Laurent’s eye. ‘I’d really like that,’ he said quietly.

‘Okay then,’ whispered Laurent. And his chest felt tight as he gazed up at Damen, emotions rushing through him, too many to identify.

‘Now then,’ smiled Damen, bending a nose to nuzzle at Laurent’s shoulder. ‘How about dinner?’

‘Tea,’ corrected Laurent absently. His fingers had found their way into Damen’s hair and he was playing with the dark curls, running his hand through the soft, clean strands.

‘Mmmm?’

‘If you’re coming up North you better start saying things properly.’

‘Is that right?’ laughed Damen and Laurent, held flush against Damen’s chest, felt the vibrations travel though to his own body.

‘Yes’ insisted Laurent.

‘Okay then, how about tea?’

Laurent deliberated but decided he was too comfy where he was. ‘Tea can wait, let’s stay here a little longer.’

‘Alright,’ said Damen.

And so they lay there, content, with the promise of a future hanging in the air, and the two of them bathed in the blazing glow of the setting sun.

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Riptide -[PODFIC]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12168918) by [Pepperweb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pepperweb/pseuds/Pepperweb)




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